“Oh God my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds they hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.”
Some of my favorite hymns are about nature. They describe the beauty of the world as a window to God. The splendor of the mountains, the fury of a thunderstorm, the beauty of a flower, are all a reflection of God, his power and glory. We can see the Lord through his creation.
Yet isn’t humankind the best part of that creation? We are made in God’s image, according to Genesis. We bear the fingerprint of God within our very being. Not nature, us. We were made last, on the sixth day, to rule the earth and take care of it. Shouldn’t we be able to see the power, majesty and beauty of God within humanity?
There are so many songs about the natural world that help point us in worship toward God. But there aren’t many that seek for the essence of God within humankind. One of my favorite paintings is a series of faces which all merge, like an optical illusion, into one face, Jesus’ face. We see Jesus, we find God, in ourselves and in every good gift that God gave humanity.
I love songs about nature and I think that a bright summer day, a beautiful flower, a mighty mountain can really put his glory in perspective. These are indeed windows to God and I would never say otherwise. But I would like to see a few songs about the good things in humans. About compassion and love, grace and mercy, lived through people, as powerful images that point to God, as powerful as purple mountains‘ majesty.
So look around you, at the blue sky and green grass, at the rainbow that shines after the storm. Then look at the person next to you, the people you work with, your circle of friends and the role models you admire from afar.
Oh God my God, when I in humble wonder,
Consider all the souls thy hands have made,
I see their hearts, I hear the sound of laughter,
Thy power throughout the lives of friends displayed.”
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